Egyptian Mother of Pearl Furniture and Gifts

As early as 4500 BC, ancient Egyptians used mother of pearl as a personal ornament to make themselves more pleasing to the gods. Fragments of these ornaments, made of inlaid Mother of pearl and silver, still exist today. Mother of Pearl is made from the inside lining of shells like conch or of oyster pearls. A popular item today is the crochet necklace or bracelet of layered pearls and beads on a crocheted foundation.

Inlaid mother of pearl jewelry boxes made of wood or metal are another popular Egyptian handcraft. Constructed of abalone shell mother of pearl, hundreds of finely-cut pieces are hand set into wood or metal individually so that each box is different from others. Especially striking is the way colors are reflected from the surface as a result of how the pieces of pearl are arranged. Mother of pearl is also inlaid into decorative pieces that include silver gilt or gold into their designs.